Sandringham curtains recycled into festive stockings for royal charity auction

Old curtains from a royal residence have been recycled into festive stockings for a charity auction.

Members of a sewing bee took on the task of turning the curtains from Sandringham House in Norfolk into 25 stockings ahead of Christmas.

The sewing bee is based in another stately home with a royal connection – Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland.

Its members meet there every week and, in recent months, their time has been spent repurposing the luxurious curtain material for the charity endeavour.

Twenty-four of the individually numbered stockings are being auctioned to raise money for The King’s Foundation, with the final one to be given to the King as a Christmas present.

Each one took more than six hours to make, with bee members using techniques such as hand embroidery, piping and seam matching.

The King’s Foundation, which is based at Dumfries House, provides opportunities for people to learn practical heritage skills.

The sewing bee, which has been meeting at the residence since 2016, is one of the charity’s initiatives. Like much of the foundation’s work, the bee’s activities have a focus on sustainability.

Christine Wilson, 72, and Andrea Middlemiss, 63, from the nearby town of Cumnock, had never sewed before joining the Dumfries House group.

Retired finance officer Ms Wilson joined the bee when it was first set up, and cafe worker Ms Middlemiss signed up six months later.

“It’s been absolutely great,” said Ms Wilson.

“It’s a great atmosphere in the sewing bee, a great group of friends, and we do a lot for charities as well.

“Over the years we’ve done a lot of different ideas, and we’ve learned so much from the tutors that are here as well. They’ve been excellent. It’s a great community-based organisation.”

Ms Middlemiss first heard about the sewing bee online.

“I really wanted to get involved,” she said.

“I couldn’t sew a thing (at the start) and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it and I’ve learned a lot from the tutors. We’ve made so many different things – dresses, jackets, and done a lot for charity along the way, and the stockings, of course.”

Ms Middlemiss said she was proud to have worked on the latest project. “It’s an honour to be doing it,” she said.

“Because of the curtains, because of where they’ve come from and the story behind it and the thought that they’ve been hanging up in this palace for goodness knows how long.”

Sarah McClymont, 31, lead tutor with the bee, said the stocking-making had proved an “exciting project” for its members.

“Being given the opportunity to work with such historically significant fabric was a real honour for them and they are so proud of how the stockings turned out,” she said.

“The sewing bee transforming the Sandringham curtains into 25 luxury Christmas stockings really demonstrates The King’s Foundation’s commitment to craftsmanship, responsible design, and sustainable fashion and textiles.

“We hope that whoever is lucky enough to win one of the stockings at auction will pass it down as a family heirloom to be treasured for decades to come.”

The King’s Foundation’s 2025 Christmas Charity Auction is open until 5pm on Friday December 12. For more information visit https://uk.givergy.com/kings-foundationauction/.